Explore Quotes by Chanakya

Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.

Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilised.

As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.

What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?

A learned man is honoured by the people.A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere.

Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.

Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body when lost may never be acquired again.

The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become.

The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several seasons) until they are able to sing sweetly (in the Spring) so as to give joy to all.

We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, valour, scriptural knowledge, modestyandmorality for the world is full of the rarest gems.

There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words - fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems.

Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.

He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.

He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, is a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise - although he may be the greatest personality - will lose the favour of Lakshmi.

Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.

We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favour,like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.

Eschew wicked company and associate with saintly persons. Acquire virtue day and night, and always meditate on that which is eternal forgetting that which is temporary.

A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building.

Education beats the beauty and the youth.

The king shall singly deliberate over secret matters; for ministers have their own ministers, and these latter some of their own; this kind of successive line of ministers tends to the disclosure of counsels.

The king shall lose no time when the opportunity waited for arrives.